Chair's Corner: IUCN CEC Newsletter

08 March 2012 | News story

Keith Wheeler, CEC Chair, introduces a newsletter collecting stories from January and February 2012.

With regret, I share news that we have lost a member of the IUCN and CEC family. In February, Dr. Sue Mainka passed away after a battle with cancer. Sue was Head of the Science and Knowledge Management Unit and brought together a team providing secretariat support for CEC. I admired her commitment to promoting conservation science and leading IUCN's work in knowledge management.

All other news is good news for our Commission. Dedicated volunteers including Wendy Goldstein and Chuck Phillips are fine-tuning the next CEC Strategic Plan, aligning the plan with IUCN guidelines. They are assisted by Rod Abson, our CEC focal point and new father of a son born 22 February. In June, I will join CEC members Frits Hesselink and Brad Smith as part of the IUCN Delegation to Rio+20. There is also news about the World Conservation Congress: IUCN has just announced the candidates for IUCN Council 2013-2016, including Nancy Colleton and Juliane Zeidler for CEC Chair. Congress registration will open 12 March. CEC members working in IUCN member organizations can comment on motions using the IUCN Motions blog. For CEC members attending Congress, please note that the CEC Members meeting will be held the morning of 6 September.

The stories in this newsletter tell me that 2012 will be a year of success in sustainability communications and education. The range of topics is truly remarkable -- marketing protected areas, radio, video, art, elephants, Rio+20, young people, biodiversity plans, and green centers for energy and education. Your stories are important to CEC and I look forward to many more throughout the coming year.